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Mongolia ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2009 and has strengthened measures to guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities and promote their social participation. To realise them, the government developed legal systems, including the Law on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Mongolia promulgated in 2016, which stipulates the rights of persons with disabilities. In 2017, the promotion of employment for persons with disabilities was set as a national goal. Aiming for more solid and continuous development, the Japanese technical cooperation "Project for Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Mongolia" has been implemented since 2021.

In this column, the project visits Mongolian companies promoting the employment of persons with disabilities, interviews the people concerned multilaterally and considers the realisation of employment that brings happiness to both persons with disabilities and the companies.

[CASE 7] Nomin Misheel LLC, a large department store selling everything from tools to luxury furniture
"Developing an organisation like a team"

Gansukh (right) and Byambadavaa (left), both with hearing impairments, saying, "We enjoy our work" and "We are happy now", and their immediate supervisor, Bayasgalan (centre), smiling with them

A group company of Nomin Holding LLC

Enkhtaivan (meaning "peace") street, which runs east-west through the capital city, Ulaanbaatar, is the main street lined with luxury hotels, universities and embassies, as well as tourist attractions such as Genghis Khan Square.

Stately the former State Department Store on the city's main street in Ulaanbaatar

The former State Department Store is one of Mongolia's most representative department stores. The first floor of the stately building houses a cosmetics department, a supermarket and a currency exchange office, the second floor a cashmere speciality shop, the third floor a foreign-brand clothing shop, the fourth floor a home electronics shop, and the fifth floor a souvenir shop and bookshop.

The department store was founded as the state department store in 1921 during Mongolia's socialist era. However, following Mongolia's transition from socialism to democracy in 1995, the department store was acquired by local home appliance manufacturer Nomin Holding in May 2000. Nomin Holding is a major Mongolian conglomerate company with 70 branches in Ulaanbaatar and 15 provinces, operating in five sectors: retail, trading, finance, construction/real estate and technology. As of June 2022, the company employs over 5,600 people, including 4,300 full-time employees and 800 part-time and casual workers.

The company has proven its employees' safe working environment by promoting compliance with international standards. Since 2016, the company has successively obtained ISO 9001 (quality management system), ISO 14001 (environmental management system) and ISO 45001 (occupational health and safety management system) certification. In 2022, the company introduced ISO 30400, a human capital disclosure guideline, to ensure a safe working environment for employees. Furthermore, a risk management department was established in the same year, 2022, to promote work safety and environmental improvement.

Nomin Holding is active in employing persons with disabilities. Two persons with internal disabilities manage an affiliated subsidiary as executives. Besides, there are persons with hearing and speech impairments among the managers in the accounting department. Including persons with hearing and speech impairments, lower limb disabilities and visual impairments (low vision) working as delivery staff, shop clerks and cleaners, the total number of employees with disabilities in the group is 80-100. Of these, the most significant number of persons with disabilities are employed in the retail sector.

Members of the human resources department at the Nomin Holding head office. Oyunkhorol (right), the department manager, and Uuganchimeg (centre), the department member. Senior manager Tumennasan (left) is handling human resources at Nomin Misheel, one of more than 20 subsidiaries, from the head office.

Nomin Holding first employed persons with disabilities in 1996, shortly after the company was founded. At that time, the company had about 20 employees, and they selected job applicants without regard to gender or disability. Oyunkhorol, the manager of human resources, introduces that when hiring persons with disabilities, the company selects from open position applicants, conducts a risk assessment and medical examination, and then provides a five-day to one-week internship. These are the same recruitment steps as for other recruits.

Oyunkhorol graduated from the University of Humanities, worked for a year at another company and joined Nomin Holding in 2014. While working, she studied again at the University of Economics and obtained a master's degree in 2021. She had never worked with persons with disabilities before joining the company, but "through my work in human resources, I realised that persons with disabilities do not desire to be treated differently, she says. She learnt that the word "disability" does not only refer to persons with visual or hearing impairments who use braille or sign language or who use wheelchairs but also to those with disabilities that are difficult to identify from the outside, such as internal disabilities.

Members of the human resources department at the head office, responsible for human resources across Nomin Holding's five sectors - retail, trading, finance, construction/real estate and technology. They smile and say, "The work is hard, but very rewarding."

Meanwhile, Uuganchimeg, who works under Oyunkhorol, believes that "meeting the statutory employment rate is important, but even more important is how long persons with disabilities can work". In fact, the company has three employees with disabilities working for 23 years and another six working for 18 years. The average length of service for employees with disabilities exceeds five years. In the future, the company plans to train coaches and mentors at each branch office for persons with disabilities working on an internship.

Uuganchimeg joined Nomin Holding after graduating from Orhon Private University in 2007 and has now worked for 15 years. After experiencing a wide range of jobs, including receptionist, secretary and office manager, she began to think that her role was to make employees happy, which led her to voluntarily apply for the human resources department. Since March 2022, she has been responsible for managing the working environment.

Uuganchimeg first began to consider disability when her grandmother had one of her legs amputated in an accident and became wheelchair-bound in 2009. She saw her grandmother, who used to be diplomatic and proactive in everything, become depressed and mentally unstable after the accident and struggled to find a way to deal with her. This tough experience led her to be conscious of two points: treating persons with disabilities as equals rather than seeing them as objects of pity and welfare and praising them when they succeed, and scolding them when they don't.

Two business partners with a high reputation within the company

Gansukh and Byambadavaa are reputable close team workers in the company.

In late June, we visited Nomin Misheel LLC, located in Khan Uul, about 30 minutes from the centre of Ulaanbaatar. Nomin Misheel is one of the subsidiaries of Nomin Holding and is a large department store in the form of a hypermarket store that sells a wide range of products, from tools, boards and other DIY necessities to high-end furniture imported from Germany and other countries. The majority of customers are middle-class and above, relatively well-off people. Here, two close business partners well-known within the company work together: Gansukh and Byambadau. Both are with hearing impairment who unload goods, display them on the shelves and manage the stock through sign language.

Gansukh wears a company-provided corset with care while at work

Gansukh was born in Khovd Province and has worked there for six years. Now 37 years old, he lost his hearing acquired at the age of four. There was no local school for special needs education, so he spent his time taking care of livestock, learning read and write from his family and simple sign language from a person with hearing impairment in Khovd Province.

When he reached 20, his family moved to the capital, Ulaanbaatar, after his hometown was hit by cold weather and all the livestock were lost. At that time, he luckily got a chance to relearn sign language at a Christian church. However, hardships continued afterwards. He once worked for a construction company feeling anxious and lonely because there did not prepare any work safety measures or considerations to communicate to Gansukh in an emergent situation, who could not hear anything.

Gansukh joined Nomin Misheel when his friend with a hearing impairment who had worked there earlier decided to quit and introduced him as the replacement. "During the recruitment process, the company arranged a sign language interpreter for me to explain the contract details, which was very surprising. At the same time, I was very happy to realise how much they cared about me," he recalls. He smiles and says, "I don't feel anxious or lonely now because my colleagues have been trying to communicate with me using smartphone apps and connecting me to sign language interpreters and video callers to show me the complicated procedures." He wears a company-provided corset to prevent back injuries during unloading and He has a good reputation within the company for knowing all the code numbers assigned to each item in the warehouse.

Gansukh recalls, "One day, I lost my hearing, my learning opportunity ceased, and for a while, I suffered from anger with nowhere to go. However, now I am very happy with a very good job. I like my life now," he says brightly. "Among my three children, my youngest son, in particular, has big eyes and looks just like me"; his smile realises how much life can change depending on a workplace that respects an individual personality and values communication.

Byambadavaa, who bravely volunteered to work for Nomin Misheel

B. Byambadavaa is 30 years old, born in Khövsgöl Province. He joined Nomin Misheel two years ago. He also has an acquired hearing impairment after falling off a horse when he was six. Like Gansukh, he did not have the opportunity to learn reading and writing in his village, with no schools for special needs education, until he moved to Ulaanbaatar with his parents when he was 13. He studied haircutting skills at a vocational training school under the General Authority for the Development of Persons with Disabilities. He got a job at a barbershop but often had trouble communicating with customers.

One day, Byambadavaa dropped by Nomin Misheel while shopping and saw a man working in the warehouse using sign language. He couldn't help but talk to him in sign language, saying, "I also have a hearing impairment, and I want to work here". That was his first interaction with Gansukh, who accepted Byambadavaa's enthusiasm and helped him to talk to the boss. Thanks to Gansukh, Byambadavaa could work there; thus, Byambadavaa has admired Gansukh like a brother since that day. They always work together, except on days when they don't have the same shift. "On his first day at the company, I was delighted because Brother Gansukh showed me around the shop and the warehouse, explaining everything carefully one by one. I am happy to work with him," Byambadavaa said brightly.

Byambadavaa built a house after joining the company. He could decide because he was on a contract with a regular salary increase on condition of his serious attitude toward his work. Then, he received various forms of support from the company, including an unexpected donation and Gansukh and his colleagues coming to help on their days off. "I am fortunate to work in my current workplace. My friends around me envy me," Byambadavaa says with a beaming smile.

Each employee realises their roles

Manager Bayasgalan talking to the two in sign language

Their immediate supervisor in the warehouse is Bayasgalan, who manages the shop as a manager. He joined Nomin Holding 12 years ago and was immediately posted to Nomin Misheel.

Bayasgalan had a friend with a hearing impairment in the past, which enabled her to sign basic greetings. However, she never had the opportunity to interact with persons with disabilities afterwards, making her struggle to interact with Gansukh and Byambadavaa at first. She quickly realised that the two did not like to be treated special because of their disabilities, so she tried to treat them like any other staff members. "We have seven members in charge of the warehouse, including the two. I have never been conscious of having to create a special environment just because they have joined us, but we support each other and are like a team," she says with a warm smile.

Sorting goods efficiently in sync with each other

Meanwhile, Bayasgalan firmly protests against any customers who speak to the two in the sorting process and complains that they are rude because they do not answer. In such case, she resists saying, "We won't put up with anyone who treats employees with disrespect," she reliably states.

Nomin Misheel employees have low turnover and a high level of satisfaction with their workplace; as they say, it is a place that "prioritises the staff" and "evaluates them correctly." Bayasgalan explains their reason, "Normally, in a supermarket, customers choose what they want to buy, put it in a basket and take it to the cashier and buy it immediately. Meanwhile, here, the staff in charge explain and advises customers on the features of each product, has it brought out from the warehouse and compares it before they buy. Hence, each staff member can recognise that they have helped customers shop for that product, which is an enriching experience. The company has kept the staff without laying anyone off, while many companies in the area have cut jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Make the workplaces comfortable, where the staff spend eight hours a day

Bolortuya supervising Nomin Misheel as store manager

Overseeing the overall operations of Nomin Misheel are Bolortuya, store manager, and Tumenjargal, human resources manager. Bolortuya was appointed store manager in 2018. She says proudly: "When you hear that a company sells parts, you might think that the store inside is quite messy. However, as you can see, it's very tidy and organised, isn't it? Gansukh, Byambadavaa and the other warehousemen do a brilliant job organising the goods."

"Gansukh is the only one in the company to know the symbols and barcodes of all the products, and everyone looks up to him", she says happily. "I was worried that Byambadavaa would quit soon, but he and Gansukh have teamed up and seem to enjoy working together, which makes me feel relieved". Bolortuya's comments show her daily consideration for their working conditions.

Tumenjargal, human resources department, Nomin Misheel

Meanwhile, Tumenjargal joined Nomin Holding five years ago and has been in charge of human resources since being posted to Nomin Misheel two years ago. The company set the working hours per week and the number of paid leave days per year in compliance with labour laws. The job descriptions are supervised by a colleague in the same job for a certain period on an escorted basis.

Tumenjargal evaluates highly of Gansukh and Byambadavaa, saying that they have never been late and their work performance is exemplary. She is keen to employ persons with disabilities, saying, "I am willing to interview anyone who chooses Nomin Holding and applies to work with us".

Exterior view of Nomin Misheel in Khan-Uul district

Nomin Misheel, as mentioned above, has ensured the welfare of its employees by providing financial assistance to Byambadavaa to build a house. At year-end, in addition to Nomin Holding's overall system of awarding the year's outstanding employees, Nomin Misheel has an independent system of awarding employees' achievements and motivating them. Bolortuya and Tumenjargal say, "The workplace is where you spend a third of your day, eight hours. We want our staff to work comfortably and go home with positive feelings," with warm respect for their staff.

Byambadavaa looks up to Gansukh, and Gansukh takes good care of and mentors Byambadavaa, which is heartwarming. Their colleagues, supervisors and management team look after them from their respective perspectives and are all warm and supportive. Listening to their stories, as Bayasgalan says, Nomin Misheel is like a team or a big family.

Only when the company shows respect for its employees, each employee takes pride and responsibility in their work and role and feels fulfilled and engaged in their work. This seemingly simple cycle is essential for any organisations, regardless of disabilities. Assessment of work, assignment according to staff's characteristics, smooth communication and consideration for comfortable relationships are fundamental to a long working environment for persons with disabilities. It is reassuring that an organisation as large as Nomin Holding, which boasts a significant presence in Mongolian society, and its subsidiary, Nomin Misheel, focus on these factors and create a favourable working environment. The company's efforts, filled with warmth, will have a significant positive domino effect on Mongolian society through synergies with the job coach employment support service by DPUB 2.

Company profile

Company name	Nomin Misheel LLC
Business	hypermarket store
Number of employees (Nomin group)	Approx. 5,600 (As of June 2022)
Number of employees (Nomin Misheel)	Approx. 100
Number of employees with disabilities (Nomin group)	Approx. 100 (e.g., hearing impairments, speech impairments)
Number of employees with disabilities (Nomin Misheel)	Approx. 4 (e.g., hearing impairments, physical impairments)
Reasons for employment of persons with disabilities	Nomin Holding has employed persons with disabilities since the early days of its foundation. Recently, the company has been more active in promoting it to comply with international standards.
Initiatives for employing persons with disabilities	Established a risk management department Ensure risk assessments and health checks Employ staff after job trials as interns. Maintain staff motivation by establishing an employee award system unique to its subsidiaries

What is the "Job Coach Employment Support Service"?

The job coach employment support service is a specialised employment support service for persons with disabilities and companies through job coaches, which will be provided from June 2022 by the General Authority for the Development of Persons with Disabilities of Mongolia.

Through this service, hundreds of persons with disabilities are expected to be employed by companies annually. Meanwhile, companies that struggle to employ persons with disabilities must fulfil their social responsibility by paying the levy.

Contact details

For more information on the job coach employment support service, please contact:
The General Authority for the Development of Persons with Disabilities
(Хөгжлийн бэрхшээлтэй хүний хөгжлийн ерөнхий газар)
info@gadpwd.gov.mn
Tel: 77073008, 77032222